Tattoos

by Brooke on May 22, 2013

I finally got the tattoo I’ve been thinking of for the past 8 months!

I wanted to get ‘inspire’ written on my wrist in white ink and super girly script. I picked white ink so that it wouldn’t be visible to anyone but me, as a kick in the fanny when I need it! It’s positioned so that I’ll be able to read it while I am painting or photographing.

A high school artist friend owns a shop, The Wolf’s Den, and I had been talking to him about my idea to see if it was even possible.

Here is my buddy Clint doing his thing!

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I went with my mother-in-law, Rhonda. She had been wanting to get a tattoo for years to honor her son Dustin who passed away in 2001. She was nervous because this was her first tattoo, so we made appointments and went together!

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She had a cell phone picture of what she wanted, he drew it on her ankle right there, picked a font for the name- and Voila! She now has a tattoo!

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~Candace

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Fresh Veggies: $.05

by Brooke on May 22, 2013

Inspirational Garden that offers you notes of Peas and Love… by Ashley

Priceless!

Lettuce Love, Beet the Blues, Peas Share and Kiwi Hug? Are just a few of the funky notes this Kitty Hawk garden sends us as we knock out the blurps of weeds.

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As May reaps the blooming beauty of April showers, we capture how fun it is to pair playing in the sunshine with daily chores. Check out these cuties getting sprinkled!

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Grigsby Turned 1!

by Brooke on May 21, 2013

I cannot believe Grigsby is already one!!! Holy moly, where did the time go? Seems like we were just taking Monica’s maternity and Grigsby’s newborn portraits!

Josh and Monica brought over some of Josh’s things from when he was little to incorporate into the shoot. The goose is quite fitting, since Josh is the President of the Currituck County Chamber of Commerce.

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Grigsby had a big ol’ puppy cupcake! After he smashed into it, he kinda looked like a puppy himself! Those sweet little dirty toes were too cute not to get a picture of! Mons says Grigsby has his daddy’s feet, I’m betting Grigsby’s are way more adorable!!

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He loved the old blue bottle. This is from the collection of vintage bottles at Sanctuary Vineyards that my dad collects in New Bern. He was so proud that one was from 1866!

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Here is Grigsby getting pulled by his two doggies, Franklin and Winston.

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Happy Birthday Mr. Grigbsy!!!

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Behind the Scenes

by Brooke on May 21, 2013

The wedding season has kicked in and we’re busy!!!! We snapped a few behind the scenes photos of things going on or that just made us giggle!

Gena Martin, of Platinum Party Planning did an amazing job organizing this event! Gena had a great idea for the guest book. She commissioned Candace to paint a cupcake on a canvas. The guests initialed the canvas and dipped their thumbs into acrylic paint and made sprinkles!

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Here are a few pictures of Gena in action! The top left picture cracks us up!

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Ocean Boulevard catered the event. They shucked oysters, had shrimp and grits, and ceviche for the cocktail hour. Dinner was served buffet style, and is always delicious!

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I’m in love with these sweet treats! Shortbread cookies with goat cheese and sugary fruit!!!

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Being the crazy animal loving gal that she is, Candace jumped on the dance floor to save a little slimer frog from getting squashed between dances!

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The bride and groom got a little silly with the cake feeding and Gena was right there to wipe up the mess and keep the couple looking fresh!

Johnathan and Andrea are from Boston, and were so very thankful to Platinum Party Planning for handling their wedding needs while being states away. They called Gena to the dance floor and had a special toast just for her and her amazing team!

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The wedding took place at The First Colony Inn in Nags Head.

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Guests enjoyed cool ocean breezes and a stunning view from the clear roofed tent.

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Johnathan and Andrea came from Boston, MA to the Outer Banks, NC to get married! They had the most perfect spring day! The weather temperature was perfect, the rain cleared away, and there was nothing but blue skies!

We showed up to their Nags Head cottage to spend time with Andrea while she and her girls finished getting ready. Her dress was gorgeous! Lots of ruffles underneath!!!

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As Andrea was sliding into her dress, Johnathan caught a sneak peek through the window as he was walking up to the house to do the first look. He turned around and walked the entire way backwards!!

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Johnathan wears his heart on his sleeve! He teared up the entire day! Here is a super sweet sequence of their first look.

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Super sass! Andrea’s dress stopped just a little above her ankles, so these gorgeous Kate Spade heels could show all day long!

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Platinum Party Planning set up this beautiful spiral aisle for the ceremony. All guest had a front row seat and were able to pass out high-fives!

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Johnathan and Andrea were getting snuggly on these great props by Renee Landry Style.

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We love a clear roofed tent! The sun was able to shine through and once the sun was started to set, all the beautiful pink and purple colors came though. The First colony Inn was a beautiful backdrop!

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Renee and her team styled the bouquets and table arrangements using succulents, peonies, glass bottles and vases. The couple drove the cupcakes from NYC, all with different meaningful designs. They their cat ‘Browine’, golf balls, pigs, barbells, and tennis balls all made into edible treats.

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Gorgeous chandeliers at an outdoor wedding, why not? Renee Landry rocked these light fixtures with a funky silver sleeve to match the bride and grooms colors of pale pink, silver and grays.

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Didn’t we already gush about the clear roof tent? Well, look at the way the light came through on the dance floor! This looks like Cinderella and daddy is her Prince Charming!

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They had an amazing live band! Soulful, and great lighting! They had the whole party up on their feet!

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Many Thanks and Congrats to our couple, Andrea and Jonathan! We wish you bunches of happiness!

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Jeff hearts Steph | Corolla

by Brooke on May 20, 2013

Jeff and Stephanie, obviously they’re ‘Steffery’, were the funnest couple! They were married in Pine Island, Corolla this weekend, and we had a very iffy weather forecast. Not steady rain, but just bands moving through- enough to make any bride planning an outdoor wedding freak out! Steph was so laid back and had nothing but smiles all day long! Luckily, the rain finished about 20 minutes before we were set to start shooting and we didn’t see another drop the entire night!

The couple had their first look on the beach walk way. I love how the rain brought out colors in the wood and made all the greens so vibrant! Stephanie was giggling so hard before their sneak peak because she had left her contacts back home in NY, and couldn’t see a thing! Jeff didn’t know she was right behind him, and was asking, “what am I supposed to be doing?!”

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Stephanie and the entire family just adore their Mimi! She was unable to walk down to the beach for the ceremony, so right before Stephanie walked down the aisle, she ran back down to the reception area for a quick kiss!

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The bride and groom left their drinks by the access, and I saw this fun angle during their ceremony! The bridal party wore matching flip flops on the beach, but as soon as the ceremony was over, they slipped into their dancing shoes! Stephanie had the sassiest hot pink heels with fun bows!

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Ocean Boulevard catered the cocktail hour and served an always amazing dinner! Atlantic Cakes made these beautiful sandy beach inspired cupcakes! Nikki, the flower girl just couldn’t resist!

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Many congrats to Jeff and Steph! We are so happy to have been a part of your big day!

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Corolla Family Portraits

by Brooke on May 20, 2013

I was so excited to hear from Jen & Josh, I haven’t seen them since their wedding at Sanderling Resort in 2009. They came to Corolla for a friendcation with their doggie friend, Wally, who acts no more than a year old even though he is 10!
He adores the beach, running and jumping through the waves, catching his toy in the air and being chased by his family.

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I love McKenzie’s smile! She didn’t mind the wind on the beach one bit, it almost put her to sleep…

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Tater Diggin’, Mud and Chickens

by Brooke on May 16, 2013

Saturday morning was so much fun, we went out and picked arugula, spinach, and dug potatoes with Weezy and Juicy, then went and fed and played with the chickens. Poppy may be a multiple tutu kind of gal but she is happy as can be to play in the mud, dig for worms and carry her chickens around!

I’m so lucky to have John, he’s patient and a fabulous teacher – it makes my heart smile to see him teaching Poppy about farming and caring for living things.

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Poppy cracks me up wearing John’s glasses!

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Tim hearts Kathryn | Sanctuary Vineyards

by Brooke on May 14, 2013

The rain and clouds parted minutes before these two said “I Do” at Sanctuary Vineyards. It was a gorgeous morning and a fabulous evening with rain in the middle of the day. The clouds made for beautiful lighting and cooled the day off. It couldn’t have been more perfect!

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Everyone was glued to their phones checking the forecast but Kathryn’s mama didn’t want her to look outside at the rain, she knew it would clear up and there would be no worries!

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While Candace was photographing the gals getting ready, I got to play with the fellas who are total goofballs!

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The ladybugs arrived to sunshine and fun!

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Tim & Kathryn are so sweet together and laugh non stop!

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Her grandpa was a dancing machine!!

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Wishing you a lifetime of love and snuggles! Congratulations lovebugs!

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Fun by the Trent River!

by Brooke on May 10, 2013

Turkey’s dog, Finn, is the best doggie ever. So gentle AND he jumps on the trampoline, a huge plus in the Mayo household!! We were outside playing with bubbles but it seems that Finn liked them best of all.
Finn’s talents include jumping on the trampoline, paddle boarding, swimming, fishing, blowing bubbles and snuggling really, really, really hard.

Poppy had the best time with her aunt and “uncle!”

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